Mine coupler



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ATTO NEYS C. N. RYDIN Oct. 20, 1953 MINE COUPLER s sheets-sheet s FiledJuly 29, 1949 INVENTOR CA?. RYDIN BY 3l ,winni IHHHIM" WMM,

A ORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1.953

UNITED STATES kATENT OFFICE IVIINE COUPLER Carl N. Rydin, Warrenville,Ill.

Application July 29, 1949, Serial No. 107,457

1 Claim. 1

This invention appertains to car` couplers and more particularly tocouplers of a type especially adapted for mine cars, railroad motor carsand the like.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a couplerhaving a novel jaw and knuckle construction, whereby meeting couplers ofcars are quickly and automatically locked.

Another object of my invention is to provide a coupler so constructedthat disengagement of the jaws of mating couplers is prevented incidentto the travel of cars over high or low portions of a railroad track.

Another salient object of the invention is to provide a car couplerhaving a jaw receiving chamber therein functioning to limit the up anddown movement of a mating coupler jaw, the walls of the chamber formingfaces to facilitate the guiding of the jaws of meeting couplers to theirinterlocking position.

A further object of the invention is to provide spring means fornormally urging and holding the jaws or knuckles in their lockedposition and to provide means whereby the springs and jaws can bequickly replaced if damaged or broken.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding thecoupler jaws in place and in coupled position should the pivots for saidjaws break or become accidentally displaced through any reason.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specically described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which drawings,

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of cars equipped with thenovel couplers and draft rigging, parts of the view being shown inlongitudinal section and said section being taken on the line I I ofFigure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure l,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through matingcouplers, the section being taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, lookingin the direction of the arrows, the View being on a larger scale thanFigures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line d ll of Figure3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view taken on theline 5 5 of Figure 3,

2 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the constructionof the pivot pin and the means for holding a coupler jaw or knuckle inposition, should the pivot pin become displaced.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view throughadjacent couplers taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 3, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a top plan View of one coupler showing its jaw or knuckle ina retracted, un-

coupled position, parts of the figure being shown broken away.

Figure 8 is an end elevational View of one of the couplers, with theknuckle retracted.

Figure 9 is a detail plan view of one of the coupler jaws or knuckles,said view being on a greater scale than Figures 1 and 2, but on asmaller scale than Figures 3 to 8J inclusive.

Figure 10 is an inner side elevational view of the coupler jaw shown inFigure 9.

Figure 11 is an outer side elevational View of the coupler jaw shown inFigures 9 and 10.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the numerals IE5 and I5 indicate a pair of companion couplers, which arecarried by the adjacent ends or cars Il and i8, by draft rigging I9 and20.

The couplers are each of identically the same construction and henceonly one of said couplers will be described in detail.

Each coupler includes a shank 2l, and an integral hollow coupling head22. Rockably mounted within the hollow head 22 is a coupling knuckle 23.Formed on the inner end oi the knuckle 23 is a vertically extendinghinge barrel 2li. To facilitate assembling and to reduce cost ofmanufacture, the bore 25 through the hinge barrel is of an oval shape incross section. The head itself, substantially at its longitudinal axisis provided with upper and lower bearing openings 25 and 2l', of asubstantially circular shape in plan. A sturdy pivot 28 is provided forrockably connecting the knuckle with the head and the bore 25 is adaptedto register with the openings 23 and 2l for the reception ci the pivotpin 2S. The pivot pin for the major portion of its length is of an ovalshape in cross section to correspond to the cross sectional congurationof the bore 25, and the pivot pin adjacent to its opposite ends is of acircular shape in cross section for turning movement in the bearingopenings 26 and 2l. The pivot pin also preferably tapers toward itslower end so as to permit the ready insertion of this pin in the ears 66with the top wall 6I of the bracket directly in rear of the transversebrace bar 6l'. Also forming a part of the bracket 59 is a front flangeor wall lil, and the same is rigidly connected with the top wall 6| andthe side walls B0. This front wall 'i9 and the inner or rear wall 62 areprovided respectively with aligned guide openings ll and l2. The drawbar5l slidably extends through these openings and through inner and outerguide thimbles "i3 and lll, which are also mounted for movement in theopenings 'Il and l2. The outer thimble i3 bears against a par; of thedrawhead 55 and the inner end of the tnimble is provided with an annularflange 15, which normally engages the inner face of the front wall lil.The inner thimble iii also has formed therein an annular flange T3,which normally engages the inner face of the rear wall 62. A washer lland a nut i9 are placed on the inner end of the drawbar 5l forengagement with the thimble 14. An expansion spring 'I9 is coiled aboutthe drawbar 91 and is confined between the thimbles 'f3 and 74.

It can be seen that upon the coming together of couplers that shock willbe absorbed due to the inward movement of the thimble 'I3 against thetension of the spring 79. Shock Will be absorbed on the outward pullingmovement of the couplers due to the movement of the thimble 14 againstthe tension of the spring 19.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided anovel coupler head especially suitable for mine and like cars.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

In a coupler, a hollow coupler head having a forwardly projectingtapered guide nose on one side of its longitudinal axis and a nosereceiving recess on the opposite side of its longitudinal axis, theinner face of said nose having an opening communicating with theinterior of the hollow head, a knuckle received in said head having ahinge barrel on its inner end and a jaw on its outer end, pivot meansconnecting the barrel with the head, said knuckle intermediate thebarrel and jaw being provided with a guide opening, a guide rod slidablein said opening, a stop on the inner end of said rod, tension means onsaid rod interposed between the stop and knuckle, and the outer end ofsaid rod having a head, one wall of said opening in the nose beingprovided With a slot for receiving the rod and a. seat for the head.

CARL N. RYDIN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 164,698 Stamour June 22, 1875 335,611 Moorman Feb. 9, 1886436,336 Chesnut Sept. 16, 1890 1,430,659 Larsson Oct. 3, 1922 1,452,541Willoughby Apr. 24, 1923 1,564,400 Averill Dec. 8, 1925 1,951,021 StowMay 29, 1934 2,162,390 Rydin June 13, 1939 2,320,619 Larsson June 1,1943

